I didn’t realize this was happening or I’d have tried to organize an event in real life but instead maybe we can try to make a pledge to tune out right here on Mom, JD & share ideas for alternate activities with our kids.

Part of our battle has already been won… We got rid of our TV in our last move. But we have two computers & two smart phones. Grandmas, who help care for T, sometimes come armed with an iPad or smartphone or computer of their own. And on rainy days we’ve been known to pull up videos of construction vehicles working or jazz/classical musicians or bicycle races. Grandma loves to watch snippets of Thomas the Tank Engine with T.

… We may not have a TV but we are certainly not immune to the allure of the screen. …

And so when I attended a talk at T’s soon-to-be preschool last night & the conversation turned to screen time, I was glad to be reminded of the pitfalls that come with relying on TV or videos & I renewed my commitment to keep T as screen-free as possible.

The timing of Screen-Free Week couldn’t be better! The web site has some ideas & even has a list of events — maybe there’s one in your area. You can also access lots of resources on why limiting screen time is a good thing for families through links & their organizer’s kit.

So please join me in committing to one week of no screens! If you do, I promise I won’t even pull out my phone during the 8+ hours of flying & sitting in airports that we have planned next week (& I’ll post all about how we prepared & how we fared!). Drop a comment below & let everyone know you’re participating in a week of living screen-free & being creative, bored, nature-loving, book-reading, or whatever else you can come up with!

I don’t promise that I’ll be screen-free (I have to work & blog, after all!) but I do promise to be totally screen-free any opportunity I have to be around my son. And T will be screen-free this week (at least when I’m around… as for the rest, I’ll do my best to encourage them to help the cause!). So please join in!